General Assembly, the great annual meeting of US Presbyterians. . .,

took place in San Jose this past week. In both the June 29 Worship and Sunday Forum, Pastor Max described to us changes underway which he regards as encouraging steps forwards, if not always specific advances.  Here are a few of them:

•  An assembly vote in favor of allowing the ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians by deleting the requirement accepted in 1996 that clergy live in "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman" (although ratification by all presbyteries is doubtful). Substitute language proposed requires ministers to "pledge themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow where he leads through the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the standards of the church." The Assembly issued a new authoritative interpretation of the Book of Order declaring that interpretive statements related to sexual standards for ordination predating the adoption of that requirement "have no further force or effect."

• Determination of a candidate's qualifications for ordination will be given to the local presbytery or ordaining body, which Max emphasizes as clearly the appropriate place for such decisions, in that individuals involved in the process meet face to face and can learn well a prospective minister's character and fitness for ordination.  (Good news for local candidates highly regarded in their hope of serving as Minister of Word and Sacrament.)

• Mission & Justice: The Assembly called for "responsibly" bringing the troops home from Iraq, continuing peacemaking in Israel and Palestine and supporting human rights in Zimbabwe, the Philippines, North Korea and Columbia.  Specifically: immediate food aid to North Korea, civil rights accompaniment to citizens of Columbia and a careful approach to peacemaking in Israel and Palestine acknowledging the complexity of Middle East issues

• Definition of marriage remains unchanged, yet the Assembly approved civil rights for same-sex couples, with the appointment of a special committee to study the issue. 

(Ed. note: Visit the PC(USA) website for more information on General Assembly deliberations: http://www.pcusa.org/)

—From St. John's Mission and Justice Commission

Andy McComb and Harlan Stelmach left on June 21 for 10 days in Ecuador to learn firsthand the nature of the Latin American church and its needs and opportunities for mission partnerships.

            The Tums (the family we are working with to establish the health clinic in Quiche) must move from the refugee house where they have been living.  They are looking for a house in East Oakland near Fruitvale so that their children can remain in the same schools.  There are 13 people.  Does anyone have any leads?

From Greg Cate (Claudia's son)

            I'm involved with a study-abroad program called Edu-Culture International (ECI —www.educulture.org) which sends high school students abroad and also finds host families for foreign students coming to America for the summer months.  The students are coming for stays lasting two weeks to over a month from now until the beginning of August.

            ECI seeks families with high-school age students and a willingness to integrate a foreign student into the family as one of their own (meaning they get chores, etc.). The aim is to help foreign students refine their English skills.  If you can or know of someone who could participate in this program, please contact Greg (via Claudia Cate).

Women's Bible Study, July 10

Fran Lynch will review and discuss with us the book "Amazing Grace" by Kathleen Norris. Bring your lunch to the Campbell Reception Room on Thursday July 10, noon to 2:00pm.  For more info call Barbara Taylor .

Outdoor Service and BBQ, July 20

Bring your sunhat, sunscreen and a friend or relative or two! Also, for the Potluck BBQ afterward, bring a dish to share! St. John's will supply hotdogs and hamburgers! And if anyone out there has an old Weber to donate, don't fight the feeling! Our barbecues are plum wore out!  Contact Martha Perdue.

 
Flick Flak films to see before the meeting discussion on July 25. . .

are "Get Smart" and "Up the Yangtze."  Meet in the Campbell Reception Room at 6:30pm with a dish to share.  Come for fun and fellowship (and good food).

 
An update on the capital campaign:

We have received pledge payments through May of $665,096 vs. total pledges of $934,615.  The capital campaign is now in Year 2 so you should have paid roughly 1/3 of your pledge so far.  Capital campaign proceeds are being used in accordance with the capital campaign vision plan of 45% toward Grounds & Facilities, 20% toward Worship, Music & Arts, 10% toward Mission & Justice and 25% toward the Endowment.  Grounds & Facilities is busy planning ADA upgrades to our facility that will enable us to have the Maybeck High School use the second floor of our education wing in the late fall.  We have also completed the upgrade of the fire alarm system. The budget is on track year-to-date through May and we still expect to have a balanced budget for 2008.  The Center and Stewardship Commissions are excited about the prospect of the Maybeck School as a new non-profit user group in our building as this will lighten the workload of both our administrative staff and Pastor Max and provide more steady income.

St. John's has been awarded a wonderful grant!

Todd Jolly and I are very excited to report the wonderful “Worship Renewal” grant that St. John’s has received. This grant is the result of a “grassroots” effort within our community of worshipers to add depth to our worship for our current members and also encourage new membership. The grant has awarded us $14,900.00 for the coming year, June 2008 through June 2009, to engage, support, educate, and explore new dimensions of understanding, deepening, and enriching our individual and collective worship experiences. This program has been made possible through a Worship Renewal Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.  

            Todd and I have just returned from a three day colloquium at the Calvin Institute where we were able to network with many churches who have been working on similar projects or who are beginning the process like us. It was an exceptionally well-planned event with tremendous thought put into providing support for us, St. John’s Church, in the coming year. This gave us many resources to draw on. We plan to have workshops on music, drama, dance, arts, training to be a liturgist, study of the parts of a good worship service and more!  We will be talking to you individually or in groups about the process. We are very interested in knowing and hearing your ideas of what you feel will help enrich your worship experience.  We hope that everyone will get involved in at least one or more parts of the year-long program.  Please pray with us that this will open our hearts and minds to new and exciting ways to worship our God.

The Bible as Literature, new class

The fifteen or twenty interested people who attended the Sunday Forum on "The King James Bible As Literature" on June 1 heard a brief lecture on earlier English translations of the Bible and explored the literary beauties of the Twenty-Third Psalm. The forum, led by Virginia Anderson, offered a preview of the program of the English Literature Seminar for the coming year and served as an invitation to prospective new members.

         The reading list for next year (September-May) will include the first three chapters of Genesis, a selection of psalms, some prose narratives that tell stories of love, and the Sermon on the Mount. The text will be the King James Version of the Bible. Any edition will do, as long as it is complete. Many of us probably have a copy around the house.

         The regular meeting time for the seminar is the first Thursday of the month at 2:30pm. However, the September meeting will be postponed until Thursday, September 11, to give Virginia time to get home from a cruise to Alaska. The place of the meeting is to be arranged. Interested? Call Virginia  or e-mail her.

It's time to get serious about planning for Camp Elmwood. . .

our youth outreach program. Camp for ages 5-13 and teen counselors 13-18 is July 28-August 1. Our teen counselors come for a week of advance preparation July 21-25. Pick up applications in the narthex. Let Fred Harvey know if you will have some time to join our volunteers.

Margo, our Wonder Woman

This is just a short note to say that mom (Margo) celebrated her 102nd birthday June 23 with a very small, quiet gathering of her sister Robin (95), and Nancy and myself.  As far as a status report, mom is doing quite well at the Alameda Care Center, at 430 Willow Street, Alameda 94501.  Most of the time she is aware of her surroundings and enjoys some of the folks she shares time with at the center.  Occasionally, she has short-term memory loss but she remembers her long-ago past very well.  Recently, she has been hoping to meet with her parents, which I believe is the result of nighttime dreams.  But the most encouraging part is that when I mention the California Golden Bears, she clenches her fist and delivers a serious "GO BEARS!!  Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. St John's was so much a part of her life. 

                                                                                    —Rob Wonder

Happy July Birthday to Ethan Saldinger 5, Virginia Keilch 6, Howard Perdue 7, Norma Watson 9, Charles Lee 13, Nelly Coplan 13, Glenda Pawsey 15, Arline Erb 20, Bob McConnell 23!